1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to the field of land vehicles. More particularly, the invention relates to providing wheel substitutes as the conveyance mechanism in land vehicles.
2. Description of Related Art
Robotic vehicles are an increasingly important area of research and development as the number of uses for these vehicles continues to grow. There are many research and commercialization opportunities in the development of robotic vehicles for use in a variety of terrains and in applications that provide significant restrictions to the size and weight of the vehicle.
Conventionally, conveyance of a vehicle over rough terrain has relied upon the use of either very large wheels or legs. Wheeled vehicles benefit from the inherent simplicity and efficiency of rolling motion.
Legged, walking vehicles provide a practical solution for navigation along narrow pathways; thus much research has focused on design of legged vehicles. Most previous work has been done in the area of bipedal vehicles, quadrupeds, and hexapods. In each of these cases, the leg is either a straight or a jointed element, mimicking in some way human or animal legs. Recent work done in the field of legged robots has resulted in bipedal walkers that are more stable, lighter, and more capable of maneuvering than before.